Teens in San Bruno take the same 30-hour online driver education course as everywhere in California, then the permit test at a DMV office. The nearest DMV field office is the San Mateo office at 425 N Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo, about 5.0 miles in a straight line from San Bruno's public high schools.
Where do San Bruno teens take the permit and drive tests?
These offices are closed on weekends and open at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays. Book an appointment on the DMV appointments page (opens in a new tab), and arrive well before 4:30 p.m.: knowledge tests are not given after that. What to bring is on our permit visit checklist.
| Office | Address | Hours | Phone | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 425 N Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo 94401 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.0 mi |
| Daly City DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1500 Sullivan Avenue, Daly City 94015 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.6 mi |
| San Francisco DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1377 Fell Street, San Francisco 94117 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 11 mi |
Public high schools in San Bruno
San Bruno has 1 active public high school inside city limits or with a San Bruno mailing address (1 traditional) in 1 district, with 1,086 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. Most teens reach 15½, the earliest permit age, in 9th or 10th grade (Education Code 48000 (opens in a new tab) sets the school entry age). Finish the online course before then: the permit application needs the DL 400C.
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capuchino High (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,086 | San Mateo (5.0 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
The DMV license list (checked 2026-10-04) shows no driving school with an Active license at an address in San Bruno. Schools in nearby cities often pick students up across the area; check each school's service area and license on the DMV lookup (opens in a new tab).
Learning to drive in San Bruno: the Scott Street rail crossing and the I-380 connector
San Bruno has one Caltrain crossing left at street level, on Scott Street. A grade separation study (opens in a new tab), shared with South San Francisco, looks at splitting road traffic from the tracks there. Train service is expected to grow a lot by 2040. At weekday peak times, the gates could be down 19 minutes of each hour instead of 10. Treat lowered gates as a hard stop, never drive around them, and never wait on the tracks.
San Bruno is also where I-380 ties into US 101. Caltrans scheduled nightly closures of the connector (opens in a new tab) from eastbound I-380 to northbound US 101 from September 10 to 23, 2026. Crews used the time for joint repairs. The detour sent drivers left onto South Airport Boulevard and then onto the freeway. Weekend closures began an hour earlier than weekday ones. Freeway-to-freeway ramps move fast, so pick your lane well ahead and keep to the posted ramp speed.
The path to a license in San Bruno
- Finish the online driver education course (30 hours, $49.95 with Traffic Tutors) and wait for the mailed DL 400C.
- At 15½, apply for the permit at the San Mateo DMV office or any other, with the DL 400C and a parent's signature.
- Book the first behind-the-wheel lesson; the instructor validates the permit.
- Practice 50 hours with a licensed driver 25 or older, 10 at night, while finishing the 6 training hours.
- After 6 months with the permit and at 16 or older, take the drive test. Dates: age date tool.
Nearest other city guides: Burlingame (3.0 mi) and South San Francisco (3.4 mi). Every county is listed on drivers ed by county.
Quick answers
Sources
- California DMV field office list (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Education: public schools directory, 2025-26 (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Finance: E-1 population estimates, January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV: Teen drivers (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV Occupational License Lookup: driving schools (checked 2026-10-04) (opens in a new tab)
- California Education Code section 48000: kindergarten admission age (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Education School Directory: district offices (checked 2026-10-04) (opens in a new tab)
- City of San Bruno: S Linden Avenue & Scott Street Grade Separation Project (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 4: Overnight Closures at EB I-380 Connector to NB U.S. 101 in San Bruno (September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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